Don Cheadle May Be in THE AVENGERS: AGE OF ULTRON [Updated]

Joss Whedon is currently very busy prepping the Avengers sequel Age of Ultron, and he certainly has his hands full with the follow-up. Expectations are high considering the first film scored the highest opening weekend of all time and grossed a worldwide total of $1.5 billion, plus Whedon has to introduce new characters Quicksilver (Aaron Taylor-Johnson), Scarlet Witch (Elizabeth Olsen), and villain Ultron (James Spader) in addition to juggling the already packed ensemble of the titular Avengers. Now there’s the possibility of one more Marvel character being thrown into the bunch, as a new report claims that Don Cheadle is poised to make an appearance as Colonel James Rhodes. Hit the jump for more.

[Update: We’ve updated the story with a reported confirmation of Cheadle’s involvement, including information on his role in the sequel.]

[Update: HitFix has confirmed that Cheadle will indeed be appearing in Age of Ultron, adding that Rhodes will have “a key role in the conflict with Ultron that is the main focus of the sequel.” With Robert Downey Jr. not signed on for any further standalone Iron Manfilms, it’s possible that Marvel is making moves to set up the future of the Iron Man franchise. Whatever the case, HitFix’s report adds that “major changes” are coming for the group that calls themselves The Avengers, so it’ll be interesting to see how Whedon closes out Marvel’s Phase Two. Our original story follows below.]

The folks over at Bleeding Cool report that Don Cheadle will be popping up in Age of Ultron, though they’re unsure as to the size of Rhodes’ role in the film. Considering how many characters Whedon has to juggle, one imagines Rhodes won’t have a massive screen presence. USA Today also notes that Cheadle has a part to film in the Avengers sequel, so it’s possible that he has a small but integral role to play in the story for the Marvel team-up.

Plot details for The Avengers: Age of Ultron is non-existent at this point, but production is set to get underway next March in London. Though the film’s May 1, 2015 release date is still a ways off, Marvel will be tiding fans over with next April’s Captain America: The Winter Soldier and next August’s Guardians of the Galaxy.

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